Lawmakers Hammer Trump's Proposed State Department Cuts

Top lawmakers are blasting the Trump administration's proposal to slash funding for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testified Wednesday on Capitol Hill about the plan to cut his agency's budget by 23 percent. He says difficult choices were made when crafting the 2020 proposal but argues the funding is enough to achieve the administration's foreign policy goals.

Lawmakers don't see it that way. Democratic Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey of New York described the request as “insufficient” and said she intends to work with her colleagues to reject it.

“If the President's budget were enacted it would undermine U.S. leadership and stymie worldwide efforts to counter violent extremism, terrorism and disinformation,” Lowey said.